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Guiding Good Choices® Program Goal

The goal of the Guiding Good Choicesprogram is to prevent substance abuse among teens by teaching parents of preteens and younger adolescents the skills they need to improve family communication and family bonding. The program draws on extensive research that demonstrates the critical importance of bonding in reducing or inhibiting adolescent participation in antisocial behaviors.

During the course of the Guiding Good Choices program, parents will learn specific strategies to help their children avoid drug use and other adolescent problem behaviors, and develop into healthy adults. Parents will learn to set clear family guidelines on drugs, as well as learn and practice skills to strengthen family bonds, help their children develop healthy behaviors, and increase children's involvement in the family.

Since there is clear evidence that the child-rearing practices, attitudes, values, and behaviors of parents influence whether their children will use drugs, the Guiding Good Choices programis designed for parents. Education that begins during the preteen years and early adolescence is key for helping parents reduce their child's risk for drug use as a teen.

The program consists of five 2-hour workshops. To learn about the focus of each workshop session, visit our program implementation page.